Casing for precision balances



Dec. 9, 1930. w. HEUSSER 1,784,098

CASING FOR PRECISION BALANCES Filed April 10, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l 0 0 26 0 M 34 A m A 34 Inn-inn: /4 I Dec. 9, 1930. w. HEUSSER CASING FOR PRECISIbN BALANCES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 10, 1928 Patented Dec. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES WILFBID HEUSSER, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH CASING FOR PRECISION BALANCES Application filed April 10, 1928. Serial No. 269,011.

This invention relates toa casing for precision balances, andits principal objects are to provide a protective enclosure which shall First, be dust and moisture proof.

Second, be free from shrinking and warpmg.

Third, be rigid, and therefore free from racking and distort-ion, thus being exceptionally well suited for export shipment.

Fourth, have the door substantially the full width of the casing, unobstructed by heavy frames and concealed counterweights, but still eflectively counterpoisedi Fifth, be compact and convenient.

The very nature of the work performed by means of assay or chemical balances, requires theutmost precision, and any'deficiency in the structural integrity of the casing, or the failure to shield and protect the balance against adverse conditions, is fatal to the satisfactory performance of the balance.

In the present invention, the base is preferably of cast metal and is flanged around its perimeter. The back and sides are of sheet metal, substantially U-shaped in horizontal cross-section, and lie respectively in the planes of the back and side flanges of the base.

Inside the extremities of the legs of the U, and extending up and down opposite each other, substantially in the said planes, are the guides for thedoor, these having reinforcing members located on the outside; This is an important feature as it gives an unobstructed view of the inside of the casing. I

The features of this invention forwhich the protection of Letters Patent is desired, are

collectively grouped in the claims concluding this specification. n I

In the drawing, which illustrates one embodiment of this invention,

Fig. 1 represents a plan, largely in section on line 1-.1,Fig. 3; i

Fig. 2, a. longitudinal vertical section 45 line 2-2, Fig. 1;

The full heads give much more strength to the Fig. 3, a transverse vertical section on line 33, Fig. 1'; I

Fig. I, a small portion of Fig. 1, drawn to an enlarged scale; and i Fig. 5, a vertical section taken on line 55, 5 Fig. 4, the door having been omitted.

Referring to the drawing, 10 indicates the base having depending ribs 12 and 13, together with the depending rear flange 14 and depending side flanges 15. The base is supported upon the legs 16 provided with the leveling screw extensions 17.

The superstructure consists of the sheet metal back 18 lying in the plane of flange'l l, and the sides 19 lying in the planes of flanges 15. The top 20 is also of sheet metal and may be rigidly fastened to the back and sides by rivets 21.

The sides 19 preferably project forwardly beyond the top 20 and are provided with narrow, flanged door guides, such as the opposing channels 24 lying substantially in the planes of the respective base flanges 15, the door 25 being slidably disposed in the said channels. On the outside of easing side walls 19 and substantially along thefront edges thereof, opposite the respective channels 24;, are reinforcing members 50 secured by fastening members such as rivets 51 extending through the channels, side walls, and reinforcing members. The rivets 51 preferably have full heads, the door stiles being vertically grooved, as at 53, to accommodate the full heads on the inside of the channel guides.

structure, and at a minimum cost. Other fastening members, such as rivets 52, extend through the side flanges 15, side walls 19 and reinforcing members as indicated in Fig. 5. The top 20 carries the depending flange 26 along its frontedge, and to this is fastened a strip 27 of felt or other suitable material, which forms a dust-tight closure by bearingagainst the inner'surface of the top rail of the door 25. The door is poised by ill flu

the counterweight 28, the two being connected to each other by means of the flexible cords 29, which are fastened at 30 to the bottom rail of the door, and at 31 to the counterweight.

The cords 29 pass over guide sheaves 32, which latter are mounted inside the casing to rotate in planes substantially parallel to the planes of side walls 19, these sheaves being located in proximity to the upper front corners of the said side walls. From sheaves 32, the cords extend along the side walls and out through the back wall 18 of the casing to and over guide sheaves 34, the latter being preferably located near the upper corners of the back wall. From sheaves 34., the cords extend directly to the counterweight, one cord to each end thereof, so that when the door 25 is raised by means of the'knob 35, the counterweight will descend. The counterweight is hollow and is filled with sand 36 or other finely divided material, so that the door can be balanced and the pull of the counterweight equalized between the two sides of the door.

If desired, glass panels such as the one indicated at -10 in Fig. 3, may be provided to admit light. This does not impair -the strength of the casing, as the full bracing effect of the metal is still obtained from the bracket-like corner portions 41.

A precision balance, such as this casing is designed to enclose, is indicated diagrammatically, by lines 42 in Figs. 1 and 2.

The base 10 is arranged to accommodate the balance by providing the bearing 43 upon which the foot 45 of the balance may rest and be secured thereto by screws (not shown) extending into or through, the holes 5L6. Holes 4:7 and -18 are provided to receive depending portions of balances of a type regularly manufactured in my establishment.

The base, being of cast metal, insures absolute rigidity and. maintains unchanging relations between its various parts, under any variations of climatic conditions of temperature and humidity.

The counterweight is easily accessible and yet is out of the way, making it umieecssary to obstruct the front of the casing with a bulky and unsightly framework for conccal ing the counter-weights as usually provided.

The conmaratively thin metal of the superstructure in the present invention, causes the heat from external sources, such as the body of the person using the balance, to be rapidly distributed with substantial uniformity, thus reducing to a minimum the disturbing effects upon a sensitive balance caused by air currents set in motion within the balance cas ing due to the unequal heating in parts, of the contained air.

The metal casing too, causes the dissipation of any vagrant electrical effects manifested in the vicinity of the balance so protected, and thus removes the contingent annoyances.

I am aware that it is not new to provide merely an enclosure for a balance nor to furnish a sliding door for such enclosure, and I am also aware that enclosures for various purposes have heretofore been made of metal. Therefore, I do not claim a metal enclosure broadly, but restrict my invention to a balance casing having a metal base with edge flanges, a superstructure of sheet metal of rubstantially uniform thickness throughout, the sides of said superstructure lying substantiah ly in the planes of the respective base flanges, and door guides located opposite each other, along the respective casing side walls and in the planes of the respective base flanges together with reinforcing members on the outside of the casing walls opposite the respective door guides.

While a specific embodiment of my invention is herein shown and described, it is to be understood that various changes could be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Having fully described my invention what I claim is:

1. A casing for precision balances comprising a metal base having a back flange and side flanges, a superstructure having a sheet metal back wall and opposing side walls integral with said back wall, said side walls respectively, lying wholly in the planes of said side flanges, door guides on the inside of the respective sides, said door guides composed of metal channels having the backs thereof lying substantially in the respective planes, reinforcing members on the outside of the respective side walls and opposite the respective metal channels, means for fastening the respective metal channels, side walls and reinforcing members to one another said reinforcing members extending alongside the respective base side flanges, and fastening members extending through the respective base side flanges, side walls and reinforcing members.

2. A casing for precision balances, comprising a base designed to accommodate a balance, said base having depending flanges, a U-shaped sheet of metal lying wholly in planes of three of said flanges, channel guides inside and along the extremities of the respective legs of the said U-shaped sheet of metal, the backs of the said channels lying in the planes of the respective legs, reinforcing members on the outside of the respective legs and opposite the respective channel guides, fastening members extending through the respective channels, legs and reinforcing members.

3. A balance casing, including in combination, a metal base having side flanges, a sheet metal casing having sides extending alongside 'IPO the respective flanges, channel guides Within said casing sides, reinforcing members Without said casing sides and opposite the re spective channel guides, said reinforcing members depending alongside the respective side flanges, and fastening members extending through the respective side flanges, casing sides and reinforcing members.

4. A casing for precision balances, including in combination, side Walls lying Wholly in planes, channel guides fastened along re spective vertical front edges of said side Walls, a door having stiles movable in said channels, fastening heads projecting inwardly of the respective channels, and means defining vertical grooves in said stiles, said grooved-defining means being positioned to accommodate the respective fastening heads.

5. A casing for precision balances, including in combination, a base having side flanges, a sheet metal casing having side Walls extending alongside the respective side flanges, flanged guides Within the respective side Walls, reinforcing members outside the respective side Walls and opposite said flanged guides, fastening members extending through the respective flanged guides, said Walls and reinforcing members, said fastening members having heads projecting inside the respective channels; a door movable in said flanged guides, and means defining vertical grooves in said door, said groove-defining means being positioned to accommodate the respective fastening heads.

6. A casing for precision balances, including in combination, a metal base having a back flange and side. flanges, a superstructure having a sheet metal back Wall and side Walls integral With said back Walls, said side Walls opposing each. other and lying Wholly in the planes of the respective flanges; door guides on the inside of the respective Walls, said door guides composed of metal channels having the backs thereof lying substantially in, planes of the respective side Walls, reinforcing members on the outside. of the respective side Walls and opposite said metal channels; means for fastening the respective metal channels, side Walls, and reinforcing members to one another; fastening members extending through the respective base side flanges, side walls and reinforcing members; protrusions on the inside of the respective metal channels, a door movable in said channels, and means defining grooves in said 'door,-said groove-defining means being positioned to accommodate the respective trusions.

7. A casing for precision balances, including in combination, a base having depending flanges, a U-shaped sheet of metal lying Wholly in the planes of three of said flanges, channel guides inside and along the extremities of the respective legs of said U- shaped sheet of metal, the backs of said pro- WILFRID nifussnn. 

